Until Midnight
by A2D the Colourblind Zebra
Summary: Pride is going to stay up for New Years no matter what.


**Until Midnight**

Without so much as a creak Wrath peered in, light pouring into dear Selim's room as he opened the door. It might have been a few hours after Selim's bedtime but he was still allowed to check on his child to make sure he was ok, adopted or not. Well, that was all it was to Lenore, and all she needed to know.

Wrath had seen him, for the last four nights, pretending to be asleep and trying tenaciously to stay awake, for midnight most likely, as if he was preparing for New Years Eve. And for the last four nights Wrath had the opportunity to watch him fail that. Each night he would lean into his room for a few moments, around this time, and see what he did now. Pride drowsily murmured something through his sleep, and he curled up, and pulled the covers tighter around him.

Outside of where Lenore could see it had been all too clear his constant failures were irking him the slightest bit. When Wrath would come to wake him his façade would crack, as he scowled at the realisation of his failure yet again. If such an infantile thing was irritating him so much Wrath doubted that tomorrow night would end well when Pride fell asleep waiting for midnight to arrive. Even if he managed to stay awake, it seemed all too pointless, to stay up for Pride's sake and nothing else. It didn't seem worth the effort, but Pride had always been stubborn. Still, he looked content enough when he was asleep, and if he was asleep there was hardly anything that would wake him, so that would be useless. But…what if... Wrath's moustache quirked upwards, hiding his mischievous grin beneath the neatly combed bristles.

Well, if Pride wouldn't wake easily, then maybe…there _was_ something he could do after all.

0 * 0 * 0

Snow fell in slow and graceful waves, sending faint dotty shadows over the walls and carpet from the weakening winter sunshine. Pride lay down on his stomach with his green book in front of him, the pages blank. Rather than doing anything else Pride was musing lazily, not to save his energy, of course it wasn't that, he was just daydreaming of sorts.

When Pride was younger Father would tell him of New Years in Xerxes. He was not weaving tales per say when he did so, only informing him in the coldest of manners, but even so Pride knew well enough to remember them, in the same way he treasured all things Father chose to tell him. It seemed that long ago, even before Father had been born, Xerxes only had ten months, and started the year in March instead to mark the beginning of spring. Eventually they had changed it to what was the norm now once their lunar calendar had proved unreliable, and what Father had emulated when he founded Amestris, as the solar calendar was so superior. It was rather fitting, considering what Father's Plan would soon entail once the Promised Day arrived.

With something of a bored sigh Pride looked down at the still blank page before him, and began to write aimlessly. Keeping a diary of sorts was a reasonable thing for a child to do, even if Pride did not do it very often, and it was something to pass the time at least.

_December 31__st__, 1913_

_It's New Years Eve, in a few hours we'll be in 1914, isn't that amazing? I know it's only my first New Years with mother and father, but I think it will be good to spend time with them on such an occasion. They are so kind to me._

_Mother says that I can stay up with her and Father until midnight because of how special it is, which is really nice of them. I don't have any lessons tomorrow so it's ok if I stay up so late after my normal bed time. I won't be tired though, I know I won't, and I'll definitely be able to stay awake until twelve. I know I will! It's only one night after all, and it'll be a lot of fun. It can't be that hard…_

He was right, it _shouldn't _have been too difficult to accomplish as a one off. It might have required staying awake for an additional five hours than what he was used to in his game of house he was playing with Wrath but that should not have meant anything. Pride had been trying, at least, for the last few days he'd been trying, going to bed as usual and then enduring, watching the clock on his nightstand. Even then the latest he remembered seeing was something between nine and ten o'clock. There was no excuse for it, all children should have been able to stay awake, and he was so much more than that. Not to mention they expected him to be able to not fall asleep while he waited for it

Pride would not allow himself to behave so shamefully today; this was what he had been practising in vain for, the least he could do was do it right this time. As if it wasn't bad enough he'd ended up oversleeping that morning by _three hours _of all things (though mother hadn't minded and said that she too, had overslept) so if he wasn't able to stay awake this time that would be too embarrassing to bear.

Weighing up the shame of falling asleep while he waited for New Year to come Pride settled on refusing to accept the possibility of it, his childish façade of a smile pulling down with his newfound determination, and he stole a glance at the clock. Four o'clock. Only eight more hours, that was all. Pride could occupy himself for that long, easily. He was going to make it to midnight no matter what.

0 * 0 * 0

It was nights like these that Lenore might have enjoyed most of all, when it was just the three of them together as a family. Selim might have not been her own child but she loved him as if he was with all her heart. Nothing made her happier than seeing him enjoying himself. That boy had been through such hardships in the past year he deserved to be happy as much as he could, and she wanted nothing more than to provide the best for him.

King had come home at his normal time, though apologised for being too busy to come back earlier for the occasion (the butler had said something about him returning early, but maybe Sheridan had been mistaken). He was always so committed to his work so she hadn't expected any different, if anything it was admirable that he worked so hard every day. He had read a book with Selim once he was home, it was wonderful that they spent some time together, and both of them seemed to have been enjoying themselves. She smiled at the thought, and decided that the three of them would need to go to the library again to borrow more books for Selim to read.

Now though, with only ten minutes to go until midnight, Selim was content in curling close to her on the couch, watching the fire crackle while the snow continued to float down outside the window. Occasionally he would yawn, and wince once he realised what he was doing, shaking his head irritably and he would stare up at her, eyes pleading.

"No! I…I want to stay awake. I'm not tired at all, really." Even as he was saying it he ended up yawning again. "Really I'm not, please let me stay up." She only smiled and ruffled his hair, reminding him that there wasn't long left until New Year so he needn't worry.

"I really managed to stay awake! I actually did." Selim seemed more shocked than pleased with himself, but his initial surprise quickly melted away and he grinned his biggest grin. He didn't mind his yawning after that, accepting them and Lenore took his hand in hers so she could tuck him in.

When Lenore made her way down the stairs after Selim was wrapped cosily in his quilt and already drifting off to sleep something floated along the on the air from the living room. It sounded like…music? Had King turned on the radio at this time of night? She called to him, keeping her voice low, but enough for him to hear her.

"Dear, I don't think they will be on the air for very long. It is past midnight now." Closer now she could distinguish the words.

_With less than three hours to go before midnight we would like to begin our countdown to New Year with a performance by a local musician, followed by an exclusive…_

King was holding the clock off the mantelpiece, the back open and he was fiddling with something on the inside…

He caught her looking, and put the clock back in its proper place. She had known of his eccentricities, but even for him it was all rather elaborate, and for what good reason?

"I hope you don't mind me tricking him like that, Dear," King smiled sheepishly, or rather his moustache twitched enough to show it. "but I didn't want him to be upset if he missed it." Lenore chucked at how ridiculous he must have looked as she imagined him fumbling with all the clocks at who knows what time in the morning. It all made sense really, all of them managing to oversleep and him coming home 'early'. Well, it was all for Selim's benefit so what harm could it have done? And with that kind of smile under his moustache, that one when she managed to sneak up on him, how could she possibly be angry?


End file.
